Day (337) – At Your Fingertips

Posted on November 16, 2012

Alright, so I have been thinking a lot lately, mostly because people keep asking me about the book and what it is about. So one of the best questions I was posed was…”If you were on a talk show and you had to describe to the world what the book is….what would you say?” Woooahhh. Tough question right? Okay, so I am going to talk this out as much as possible and come to a conclusion at the end. First, I think I have to tell you where the book starts.

Loss. Most of you guys here have been reading since January…and what is interesting to me is that there are only a handful of people who actually know the story before I started blogging on this platform. There is almost a full year of development that has been missed by most, simply because this was not my starting place for writing. To me, this is actually incredibly exciting that I have something in store for you with the book that you haven’t really seen in the blog. So keep your socks on…so I can knock them off.

Back to the question. What would you say. Well first I would have to say what it is all about. The book is a testament to the blog…in representing a three-year long journey towards becoming a better man and the things I have learned along the way. Further, this journey will never end, because from it I have learned things that have altered the course of my life forever. The importance of Love, Passion, a Never quitting attitude…and above all else, Integrity. I remember the times where I first sat down to blog and it was just me. The 1 view was coming from my roommate in the next room who would help me through the thick and the thin that was going to be the next year or so. So as each life event taught me something really important about my character…I started to build on myself and the wisdom I was gaining from learning about myself, and learning from others.

A very famous philosopher, I think it was either Plato or Socrates, said that the smartest philosopher in the room is the man who realizes that he in fact…knows nothing. Bingo, that is making it into my description of this journey. Because at the beginning, all of the buildings were down. I knew who I wanted to become, but didn’t for a second pretend that I knew how to become it. So, if I ever give a speech…I might walk out on the stage…and say…”Hi, I’m Evan Sanders, I am 23 years old…and I in fact…know nothing. BUT, from nothing, I was able to give my chance, to learn about…everything.” Feel me?

Most of this journey has been shadowed by significant amounts of pain, failure, struggle, you name it. Why? I am pushing my boundaries each and every day. Those words in the previous sentence are the words that I am going to use to describe it to you. However, the way I describe it to myself is “learning opportunities.” Failing is fantastic. Well, failing going 100% is fantastic. IF you fail by half assing it, well what the hell did you expect in the first place? There have been times where I have been so unbelievably discouraged by the amount of times I have failed that I thought about quitting. But when you stand for Never Quitting…it becomes impossible for you to…and you move right through the obstacles.

I know nothing, and therefore, I have the ability to learn about things that other people cannot. But it goes a little bit deeper than that. When you think that something about you is certain, you kind of shut off your ability to morph and adapt. I am not saying that knowing yourself is bad, but I’m saying that if you say you cannot change something about you, then you have just found your weakest link. As Plitt says, “If it can be fixed…or made better…it’s as good as broken.” That’s the damn truth.

This is not a manual for anyone. In fact, you won’t find a chart, equation, numbered list….of things that you need to do in order to be happy. What I have tried to do is tell a story…without actually telling the story. Everyone has gone through tons and tons of situations in their life, but that’s not really the important part. The important part is how you feel and the emotions that are left behind. That is the story that I try to tell. No one’s pain or grief is better than anyone else’s. When you take away the who what when where why…you are just left with the emotions. And the emotions are what people can relate to. So in essence, the book is a story about my journey, one that you can travel along with me…and you can grab your lantern…and dive deep down into the caves of your heart with me.

Sometimes you have to be your own hero. And that will create permanent lasting change. That is what The Better Man Project is about. Stop listening to what other people tell you to do and start looking deep within. You may be surrounded in silence, but that is when you start to hear your own voice for the first time. The thing that makes you tick…and drives you to great things.

Yes, Socrates (in The Apology, written by Plato) was the one who said “I know what I do not know… I possess human wisdom.” He understood the limits of human wisdom and explicitly stated that he only knew that of which he practiced daily.

I can relate so much! And keep finding more and more souls like us. :) Obviously you have done very well expanding yourself to inspire thousands. I can only hope I can do the same. But, I believe, as long as we are following an inner truth, we are all teachers. Take what you need give what you can.
Thank you for following me in my journey and I look forward to following yours.

I like your blog. It is an interesting concept. And you’re right about pigeonholeing ourselves. It’s easy to think we can’t change because of other people, but it really is because of us, isn’t it? We think we can’t be anything other than what we already are. Good thoughts, and good luck!

I am amused and highly impressed to see and read about your progressive development process. I adhere to similar ideas and share your passion in becoming a better man. However, I take it upon myself to inspire others to do the same and share my wisdom, just as you do. Hence my blog and posts continue….

It is funny how pain or loss instigates many a great things in life. Some turn to faith, some to challenge the situation, some earn their wisdom from it and some succumb to it. But your efforts and wisdom is certainly worth sharing.

Best of luck with your book. From how I see it, you book is a common mans earned wisdom to inspire a common man to learn from!